


Need To Know

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Coulson doesn't like to talk about his feelings, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Parallels, skoulsonfest2k15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-03 02:44:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2835212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a ficlet about Coulson talking to Skye about a certain girl he fancies. Written for Skoulsonfest: Day 1- Compartmentalization.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Need To Know

“You thinking about her?”

His expression must have given something away.  Here he’d thought he was just staring into empty space, mid-afternoon in his office.

“What makes you think that?” he answered, smoothing down his tie with a sigh, quickly resuming busywork at his desk.

Skye had been sitting in the usual spot at her nearby desk, combing through the HYDRA files her team had recovered from the enemy's temporary base in San Juan.

“Man, HYDRA sure ordered a lot of chocolate. Weird, huh?” she said, evading his question.

Coulson didn’t reply, just continued to go through the routine paperwork that was a part of his day.

“How did you meet her?” Skye asked casually, tapping away on the keyboard in front of her.

He put his pen down and considered a moment if he wanted this to continue, then made up his mind.

“I was working,” he began.  “She was just...part of the mission.  And then, we started to get close. Afterwards.”

Skye nodded congenially at his carefully vague choice of words.

“Even though, I told myself," he said, suddenly continuing. "That there are rules about that sort of thing."

She turned over the back of her chair towards him, resting her arm across it.  “Did you show up in Lola and sweep her off her feet?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Something like that,” he said, staring back at her, hiding his own smile.

“So, when did you know, _know_?” she said, breaking their eye contact to go back to her computer.

“I rescued her from this guy who was obsessed with her,” he said, standing up from his desk. “It clicked, I guess.  For me, anyway.”

“You got to be the dashing hero,” she said, amused, finding herself smiling again, trying to stay on task.

“That wasn’t really my concern in the moment,” he said, picking up his coffee mug off the desktop. “ _Promise_.”

“But she likes you, right?” she said, stopping her fingers, looking to locate him in the room.

“I’d like to think so.”

“It sounds like you _know_ so,” she said, reading the cockiness in his voice. “Besides, what’s not to like?” she asked, leaning against the desk, propping her chin on her hand.

“I think the compartmentalization is a bit of a challenge,” he said, watching her ankle twist against the leg of her chair, as he leaned against his desk.

“Obviously,” she started, gesturing at him with her hand. “You can’t just shove down what you’re thinking and feeling all of the time.”

Coulson sighed and began moving again.

“You can’t just be the Director and nothing else. Or, even Agent Coulson, for that matter.”

“I’m not sure that’s how it works, Skye,” he said, pausing to turn to her. “It gets messy.”

“Have you ever really given it a chance?” she asked. “What if you let her all the way in?”

“That’s where she ended up, whether I wanted it or not,” he replied slowly. “Then I have to step back, reevaluate.”

“Maybe she’s just not the girl for you,” Skye said, changing her tone slightly. “If she can’t fit into that part of your life…”

“No,” he answered, too quickly. “She fits.  It’s not her, it’s me.”

“Or, you’re overthinking it,” she said, shrugging. “Just go for it, what do you have to lose?”

She started typing at the keyboard again.

“I might start to slip,” he said, walking towards her and putting his hand on the back of the adjacent chair.  “Can't afford to lose focus.”

“Does she make you better when you’re with her?” Skye asked, dragging her eyes from his hand to his face, while raising both her eyebrows. “This is, like, Relationship 101, sir.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding a bit defensive. “Is this conversation frustrating you?”

“I don’t get the hesitation,” she said with a snort. “You’re so decisive about everything else. Your suits, no levels, _Don’t Touch Lola_ …”

“You get to touch Lola,” he replied.

“That’s true,” she said, raising her finger at him, biting at her lower lip. “But, I’ve earned it," she said, sounding satisfied.

Then, she narrowed her eyes for a moment. “Did this chick get to touch Lola?”

Coulson just smiled at her, gave no answer.

“She _totally_ did,” Skye said, sitting up straight in her seat and immediately going back to the keyboard.

Coulson chuckled. “I’m going to get a refill,” he said, holding up his mug. “Do you want one?”

“Sure,” she said, leaning forward across her desk, her hand reaching for the mug as he did simultaneously.

Their fingers brushed and Skye’s face felt suddenly hot as Coulson hand lingered for a moment, then picked up the cup quickly and turned to walk away.

She looked down at the laptop as his footsteps became quieter then back up towards him, at his back, just as he walked out the door.

Frowning slightly, she pressed her fingers against her mouth, then gave a heavy sigh and went back to work.


End file.
